Just last month, Opera Mini 5 was submitted to Apple for approval to become an alternative iPhone Browser, and after preliminary rejections and let downs, Opera Mini 5 is now Avaialble for iPhone…it is a happy day!
Opera has always provided a great alternative Internet Browser for actual computers, and then added their abilities to mobile phones, but not many believed that it would really be approved by Apple, becoming a competing browser to the iPhone’s Safari. Well, lo and behold, they were truly approved and immediately after downloading it to my iPhone I have to say that I am a happy camper.
New iPhone Opera Mini allows for faster browsing as it compresses the data extremely well before sending it to your device. This both allows for faster Internet use for all connections and could also save money by taking less time when loading pages when you are surfing using your network – thanks to enhanced data compression.
Opera Mini 5 begins with an introduction page to simply provide a sneak peek of what is avaialble on its iPhone browser, and there are some goodies that any iPhone user will be excited about. They outline the features as follows:
Introduction:
As expected, you can simply dive right in by entering a web address, selecting a bookmark or choosing a Speed Dial. In case you do not know yet, the Speed Dial is a visual bookmark which is customized and personalized by you to be available on your Opera start up page. Based on this, you can set a number of different sites to be within your start up Opera page, and by clicking on the image of each, you will be directed to it. This is a very handy starting point in a browser and is highly productive and fun.
Tabbed Browsing:
Probably 99% of Internet users are already familiar with Tabbed Browsing…but not on the iPhone. Thanks to the new Opera Mini 5, tabbed browsing has just made it* to the iPhone, and it is so easy to use and fall in love with. While we always had to minimize a current page, open a new page and so on for several web addresses, that is just a thing in the past with the new iPhone Opera Browser.
Tabbed browsing is so simple, so intuitive, and really speeds up your browsing experience. Of course, just like any computer, depending on the number of tabs open, computer performance (iPhone in this case), etc, the speed will be affected. But c’mon, having this ability is a major bonus by itself, and with 3GS, it is really a snap. Kind of like having multitask abilities (for browsing) without the need for iPhone OS 4.0 (http://www.walyou.com/blog/2010/04/08/iphone-os-4-0-seems-to-be-promising/).
Along with the Speed Dial feature, you can set your favorite sites as your start up, and have each open in its own tab right as you are starting your Web session; As convenient as sitting in front of your computer, but now on the iPhone. Moreover, this truly allows you to browse a number of Web sites at the same time and jumping from one to another with a tap.
*There have been known to be additional ways to ‘trick’ Safari to open in links in “New Page”, and not a new Tab, yet it has not been as intuitive and simple as the new OPera Mini 5
Long-click menus
Some things are just so nice to finally have available on the iPhone browser and the long clicks ability is an additional gift. Long clicks provide an added option when using Opera Mini 5, and a few examples they provide right off the bat are: opening a link in a new tab, making a speed dial edit and also ‘copying and pasting’.
Remember passwords:
This is a simple addition that allows you to remember your passwords easily to your favorite sites with no more than a single click. I am certain many of you would appreciate this feature, so it can be useful for the many sites you visit that passwords are required.
Opera Link:
Opera of course allows for Bookmark synchronization, along with the Speed Dial websites and Search Engines between your desktop computer and your iPhone. Very handy indeed, and it may even entice some users to try out Opera 10.5 for the desktop.
Overall, Opera has really granted a great iPhone Web Browser that is intuitive, fun, quick and much appreciated. After the first few minutes of using it, I already noticed how convenient it is to have the Speed Dial feature, how long overdue the Tabbed Browsing has been, and how although the iPhone is an amazing phone as is, it still has ways to improve; with Opera Mini 5, it has really had its browsing experience improved a whole lot. I am just hoping Apple will not find some loop hole to reject the Opera browser after it has already been approved, and that iPhone OS 4.0 will make such improvements to its own Safari browser based on these newly loved features.
